America is not a Gun
America is mountains, prairies, and oceans.
America is a people
with courage
with joy
with its share of sadness and shock.
America is cities, towns, and rural populations.
America is community
with pot lucks
with open-air cafes
with a diversity that is celebrated.
America is parks, open-spaces, and fields.
America is a lover of creation
with farming and ranching
with hiking and biking
with kids playing in fountains and cricks
America is more than the news.
America is in the still small moments
with holding that shaking hand
with stopping to help someone who is stranded
with sharing your sandwich because they don’t have one.
America is not a gun.